A Garda sniffer dog has assisted in the discovery of firearms hidden near a riverbank in Limerick city.
Gardaí said they seized suspected drugs and firearms in the city on Monday as part of an ongoing investigation targeting suspected criminal activity.
At around 4.30pm gardaí from the Limerick Divisional Drugs Unit, assisted by the Southern Region Dog Unit, began searching an area of the riverbank of St Mary’s Park.
During the course of the search gardaí discovered €40,000 of suspected cocaine, a shotgun and a small number of shotgun cartridges that were all wrapped in plastic.
Gardaí said that as they continued to search the area Garda dog “Rex” indicated to his handler that there was something hidden underground by the riverbank that warranted closer inspection. Gardaí then discovered a handgun that had also been wrapped in plastic.
The suspected firearms will now be sent for ballistic analysis while the suspected drugs will be sent to Forensic Science Ireland.
The scene was preserved and examined by the local Scenes of Crime Unit.
No arrests have been made and the investigation is ongoing, gardaí added in a statement.